


Little Hand

by Oparu



Series: The Bottomless Sea 'Verse / Dragon Outlaw Queen ficlets [10]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other, Polyamory, Pregnancy, dragon outlaw queen family, fluff and found families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 09:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7569091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oparu/pseuds/Oparu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina, Robin and Maleficent celebrate with their family and it spirals out to Snow, David and everyone else in Granny's. Snow and Maleficent have some time to talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Hand

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gotatheory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gotatheory/gifts).



Lily takes the big table when she arrives, it's just after the lunch and quiet, so it's empty Neal's asleep in his car seat beside her Snow and David share his lunch break. Emma promised to stop by, if she didn't have too much paperwork. 

Lily's not working, perhaps she'll start later. She's polite enough now when Snow and David talk to her, maybe that's just being a good waitress. Which she is, Granny loves her, and misses Ruby, so having another slightly lost soul as a waitress just works. 

Henry follows, then Roland bounds in a moment, so it'll be all three of them, Regina, Robin and Maleficent. It's an odd time for family lunch, in the middle of the afternoon, and it's not until the adults walk in that Regina's face hits her like a punch in the gut. 

She's been crying, because her eyes are red, Robin stays close to her and Maleficent touches her shoulder, then her arm, and while Snow pretends to not stare, Maleficent wraps her hand with Regina's and holds on tight. Regina leans closer to her, and Robin rubs her shoulder. 

What happened? Why is she so...delicate? Maleficent doesn't look ill, so the baby must be fine, and Robin's beaming. His smile lights the corner of the diner, and he keeps making Roland laugh, which only adds to his mirth. Henry's joins in, and even Lily seems happy.

Perhaps relieved. 

That might be it, Regina rests her head against Maleficent's shoulder and then looks at her, really stares at her with that naked affection that Regina has so readily for those she loves. The cursed part of her memory supplies that Maleficent would have needed an ultrasound and that it might have been today, as it seems Regina's off work. 

That would explain the relief, and the tears. Granny takes their order herself and Robin pulls something from his pocket. She remembers the ultrasound they did near the end of her pregnancy, having missed the beginning in another world. 

That's the picture Robin holds so proudly: the baby they never intended, the baby who's not his, but is. He holds that like a father. 

David nudges her. "Looks like the ultrasound went well."

"Regina didn't mention it was coming up."

"She was probably too worried."

Rocking Neal in his car seat, she nods. "You're right. This is so hard for her." 

"It's not easy to have someone you love be so vulnerable," David says, reaching across to squeeze her hand. "It's kind of terrifying." 

"You hid it well."

"I did not." 

Maleficent passes their table on the way to the bathroom, and Snow can't help watching her, sympathetically. It only gets worse from here. At least she doesn't look as terrible as she did the last time Snow saw her, when Regina asked her to do magic. Maybe the nausea's coming back. 

"Don't," David says, holding her wrist. "She doesn't want to talk to you." 

"She's carrying our--" 

He shrugs and stares into his coffee. "Neice?"

Were Regina still her mother, this baby would be Snow's sister or brother. The one she wanted so badly as a girl. "Sister?"

"Our grandson's little sister," David decides. "The baby will be family, and we will work things out. You have to give Maleficent time. We hurt her and Lily very much, and you can't just make that better by throwing yourself after her."

"It worked with Regina."

He shakes his head and waves down Granny for more coffee. "Thanks. Did I see Robin had a baby picture?"

"Cutest little half-dragon peanut I've seen," Granny answers. "I'm sure he'll show you. He's in love."

"I hear fathers are just terrible when that happens."

"They can be," Granny agrees. She smiles at little Neal then glances back at the group. "It's always nice to have good news. If you do go over there and congratulate them, be gentle, our dragon-mommy-to-be passed on my homemade pie and I'm making her toast." 

"I thought--"

Snow shrugs. "Regina said it was bad." 

"Here's the coffee," Robin says, holding his cup up for a refill. 

"While you're here," Granny tilts her head at David and Snow, "they would love to see your baby picture." 

"Since I am all the way over here, I might as well," he says. His smile could easily light Granny's and David holds out his hand. "It's a little fuzzy, but you can see her hand. Right there." 

That tiny hand is Regina's daughter. The little face, even though it looks more like a racoon, is Robin's daughter, and she's the most fortunate little baby, because Maleficent has waited for a chance for this as long as Snow and David did. This baby will be so loved. 

Snow leaves David and Robin to coo over the grainy picture. Maleficent still hasn't' come back from the bathroom and Regina's started to relax with her children. 

Maybe she can help. She has had two children, that's more than anyone else here. She can help. She owes Maleficent that, and even if all that happens is that Regina has a moment where she doesn't worry. 

Granny's has a tiny bathroom, two stalls and a sink. Maleficent, like Emma, as exquisite taste in shoes, unfortunately, from the way they're positioned under the stall door, morning sickness is not confined to the morning for her. 

This isn't new. Everyone's mentioned it, from Granny to Marian. Regina's been worried sick about her. Snow leaves without a word and takes one of the glasses from the side. Filling it with water in the sink, she sinks down on the floor and waits. It's too small of a space and they're not that close. Regina would want to be in there with her, holding her hair. 

Maleficent finally turns, her hair pulled back behind her shoulders, a very elegant handkerchief in her hand. Sweat makes her blouse stick to her skin. She waves her hand and the toilet flushes. "You're not Regina."

"Sorry, I--" Snow hands over the water. "Here." 

She sips at it, then hands the glass back. Maleficent sits up just enough to spit it out. Then she returns to the floor, shutting her eyes. 

"I heard it was rough for you."

She doesn't open her eyes, and instead leans forward, dropping her head between her knees. 

"Drink," Snow offers. "It'll help."

Maleficent makes a disgusted sound and shakes her head. She lifts it, just a little. "Nothing helps."

"Regina might have mentioned that." 

That makes Maleficent open her eyes. "She worries." 

"If the person I was having a baby with was this sick, I'd worry too." 

The sweat on her forehead glistens in the reflected sunlight from the mirror. Snow reaches for her instinctively and stops. She shouldn't. 

"I won't hurt you, you needn't act like a startled deer." Maleficent holds up the handkerchief and Snow takes it from her hand. She touches her forehead, brushing her sweat away. Tears have left tracks on her face too, but not from relief like Regina's. Her skin radiates heat, worse than Neal when he's running a fever from teething. 

"You're warm." 

"It was worse before."

"This is normal?" 

Snow can't stop staring at her, looking for something that isn't human, scales in her hair, a darkness in her eyes, but she's so fragile. 

"I ran a fever the entire span of my pregnancy with Lily," Maleficent confesses, watching Snow fidget with her handkerchief. "That is fine. The nausea is new." 

"I'm sorry." 

Maleficent swallows more of the water. "I'm not."

"Really?" 

"I imagine there is also no limit to what you would endure for your child," she says. A weary smile follows, and somehow she's too pale and too pink at the same time. Should she get Regina? Is Maleficent okay? "Though, there are days where I wonder if torture would not simply be more efficient."

"Regina can't do anything? Or Dr. Whale? There has to be something--" 

Maleficent coughs, and for a moment she tenses. There can't be anything left in her stomach to throw up, and Snow hopes she can keep down water. 

She touches her shoulder, and she shouldn't. They're too close. She's pushing, and David told her not too. For a moment, she expects Maleficent to disappear, to vanish into smoke. 

She doesn't. Instead, she leans into Snow's hand, resting her cheek against her wrist. "Ursula and Cruella used the blood of those who wronged me most."

Snow winces, swallowing another apology. "David and I." 

"It's an unpleasant thing, resurrection. Death is easier, that's an undoing, resurrection is a kind of rebirth, mixing it with creation was perhaps one of the more foolish acts of magic I have ever engaged in."

"So you were trying?" 

"No," Maleficent shakes her head and Snow's hand is on her cheek and it sits there, cool against the heat of her skin. "Oh no, we didn't, it should not have been possible." 

Smiling at that, Snow meets her gaze. Her eyes are inhuman after all: too blue, too deep. There's something hypnotizing about them. 

"I should have helped you, back in our land. You came to me with your secret, and I- I was so awful to you."

Maleficent tilts her head, and more of her face rests in Snow's hand. "I've already forgiven you." 

"I know--"

"Do you?"

"What?"

"Do you understand how forgiveness works?"

Snow rocks back, and Maleficent catches her hand in hers, Her fingers are too warm, and she stares at Snow's fingers, at her wedding ring, studying them. 

"I think so, I mean- you're not going to hurt me." 

"That's avoiding vengeance." Maleficent releases her hand, and smiles, almost sad. "Forgiveness means I surrender the pain you caused me, release the burden of wanting your suffering. I've done that as best as I can. It's on you now, dear." 

That sinks into her like a punch in the stomach. She's right. Somehow, the dragon, the villain, is right. "There has to be something I can do."

Maleficent looks to the door. Regina will come after her soon and maybe Snow shouldn't be here with her.

"Have patience. You'll forgive yourself, in time." 

Getting to her feet, Snow lowers her hands to help Maleficent up. She leans on the wall, using it to help her balance. It takes her a moment, but she stands, eventually, towering over Snow. "Did Robin show you the picture?" 

"Of your baby?" Snow nods, trying not to reach out to steady her. "It's beautiful."

"She's a gremlin."

Snow stares at her and Maleficent laughs. 

"Not a real gremlin, it's just the size of her head, and her funny little hands." 

"Do gremlins exist?" 

Maleficent takes a step and sways, catching the sink. Snow grabs her, again, she's too close, too quick to try to help when she wasn't wanted. Someday she'll probably lose a hand, like David always teases her. 

She doesn't push her away, instead, the dragon seems to appreciate the steadying hand. "They're frustrating little rock-creatures. Lily told me there's a film about them. She wants me to watch it."

"It's probably terrible. All the films Emma wants us to watch are terrible." 

It takes a moment for Maleficent to center herself, to be steady enough to leave the bathroom and smile. Snow doesn't know why she's smiling but Regina's there, in the little hallway. 

"Are you all right?" This fussing, Mal accepts readily, and when Regina strokes her cheek, she nods. 

"I'm fine." 

"Oh?" Regina's dark eyes flick to Snow. 

"Just a little nausea," Snow promises. It's not a lie, but Regina's not convinced. 

"You need to eat."

"That solution seems so counterintuitive." 

"You know it works." 

They continue to argue, gently, sweetly, and Regina's hand rests on her back, so protective. 

Snow follows them a step behind, listening to their discussion. Robin has dragged David over to their table, and Neal's awake, sitting contently in his father's arms. She must have been in the bathroom for some time, because Emma and Hook have arrived, and Lily's table's too small for all of them. They stand around it, Robin and David sharing a celebratory beer, Henry making a face at the tiny amount they've given him. 

In the middle of the table, propped up against the napkins, sits the little ultrasound photo. 

"I suppose we should drink to your little flame, as you call her," Hook offers. 

Emma, smirking raises her glass. "I'll drink to that." 

Lily touches her shoulder, and they clink their glasses, and this is family. Ever-growing, changing, gaining new members, folding them in. Even Henry and Roland join with the toast, lifting glasses of root beer. 

Robin accepts their congratulations, opening his arms for Regina and Maleficent as they return to them. Emma hands Regina a drink, and Hook has one for her. He fusses over Maleficent, and it isn't until she sits down that he relaxes, as does Regina. 

Robin hands her a beer, then leans down to kiss Maleficent's forehead. 

"To our little flame," he repeats, his voice soft with affection. "We can't wait to meet you." 


End file.
